United States of America v. Gary Matthew Hughes

Toledo, Ohio criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with Coercion and Enticement of a Minor

Ohio Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Coercion and Enticement of a Minor

Gary Matthew Hughes, 36, of Piqua, Ohio, pleaded guilty to coercion or enticement of a minor. He was also ordered to serve 20 years of supervised release after imprisonment and pay $114,000 in restitution.



From about September to October 2023, Hughes communicated with a purported seven-year-old daughter of an undercover agent. He admitted that his intent was to engage in sexual activity with the girl. During the investigation, agents also found multiple files of child sexual abuse materials on his personal cellphone.



The case was investigated by the FBI Toledo Field Office and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tracey Tangeman for the Northern District of Ohio.



This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.